QUOTE=Got Stripers;1125485]"It is much easier to act presidential than what we are doing here tonight, believe me," Trump said. "With the exception of the late, great Abraham Lincoln, I can be more presidential than any president that's ever held this office."
Wow, sometimes the crap that comes out of his mouth borders on either laughable, scary or just outlandish. I'm pretty sure there are a few between Trump and honest Ab, that's assuming you (I certainly don't) consider Trump to even be acting presidential. How about these guys Donald; Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, Harry S. Truman, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Andrew Jackson, and John F. Kennedy.
He's got my vote for other best of categories; abrasive, delusional, thin skinned and narcissistic certainly come to mind.[/QUOTE]
Franklin Roosevelt, in terms of preserving this nation under the principles on which it was founded, may well have been the worst President in American History. His administration did more than any other to cripple our constitutional foundation. And he was a liar in far more significant ways than Trump. His whole Presidency was a lie in the face of his campaign promises. He ruled not only exactly opposite to the way he promised, but even in a far worse way than that opposite direction should have gone. His whole administration was a pretense of constitutionality. In actuality, the Constitution was made null and void in its most basic structure by his "New Deal." Some of his touted "brain trust" admitted indirectly or specifically that they intentionally twisted, sidestepped, tortured, or totally disregarded the words and meaning of the Constitution in order to create the biggest step in creating the massive bureaucratic, regulatory, administrative state that exists today.
And he was as big or bigger of a bully than Trump. He was more successful in his bullying than Trump because he had more Press backing, and especially the backing of the increasingly Progressive academic world. And that world created the history writers and commentators who cast him in the mode of some big, heroic, saver of "democracy" (not the Republic). In actuality, his policies extended and worsened the depression which was finally reversed by more business friendly administrations that followed him.
And as for "collusion" with Russia, it was his agreements and favoritism for Stalin which was the biggest contribution to the fall of China and Eastern Europe into the clutching hands of communism. His administration was riddled with communist agents or operatives, and he overlooked that because of his alliance with Russia.
His cousin Theodore Roosevelt was a sort of John the Baptist forerunner for FDR. Teddy believed that the President should not be constricted by the Constitution. And he acted that way. He strongly practiced the politics of the Bully Pulpit. And he was a bully. But, unlike Trump, he got good Press coverage and praise by Progressive historians.
Thomas Jefferson was a Founder and tried, not always succeeded, to preserve our republican constitutional republic.
Truman was shackled a bit by his ties to FDR and, though he made moves to remove the communist influence in our government, he still let some remain. "Give them hell Harry" was liked for his forthright off the cuff and somewhat abrasive persona. If he were President today, and a Republican, the Press would try to make him look like a buffoon.
Woodrow Wilson could be in second place to FDR as worse President. Or he might be in first place. He was one of the philosophical founders of the administrative regulatory state. And he was an avowed racist. He praised the film "Birth of a Nation" which was a tribute to the Ku Klux Klan
Andrew Jackson was directly responsible for the infamous "Trail of Tears" death march of an Indian nation. He was a far more ferocious bully than Trump could ever be.
JFK was beloved by everyone at the time, but his policies might not have differed much from Trump's. And he had a far more scandalous personal life than Trump. But the media didn't focus on such things back then.
Ike was Ok.
But "acting presidential" was always in the eyes of the beholders. And for most, it was mostly an act. In reality, many, including some of those you mentioned, were scoundrels either politically or personally. Or Both.
And the Presidents you mentioned were all to some degree, some hugely, narcissists. Maybe not Ike.
Last edited by detbuch; 07-26-2017 at 10:17 AM..
|